Yamaha to Use Seamless Gearbox at Misano

Email addresses will only be used to send this message. They will not be used
for promotional purposes. See our
Privacy Policy.

Yamaha’s factory MotoGP team will debut its new seamless gearbox at the upcoming Italian GP. Defending MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo confirmed the news during Thursday’s pre-race press-conference at Misano.

A seamless transmission has been employed by Honda’s RC213V, as well as Ducati. It maintains power to the rear wheel throughout shift, saving milliseconds when power is cut. The update is also reputed to improve stability.

Lorenzo and his teammate, Valentino Rossi, tested the new gearbox in Brno earlier in the year. There was speculation that the Yamaha team would test again after Misano, but with only six rounds remaining in the season and Lorenzo sitting 39 points behind leader Marc Marquez, it appears that any possible improvement will be put to use in defense of the title.

Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis added at the Misano press conference, “if it’s (the seamless gearbox) ready for Monday, it’s ready for now. We have a deficit to Honda and need to do everything we can to challenge them over these next six races.”

During a press conference prior to the round at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2013, Rossi stated that though the improvement offered by such a set-up isn’t immediately noticeable over a single lap, it does count over race distance by making the bike “easier to ride,” and more manageable during acceleration and braking.